Ar-Fiach Concept

Just a really quick post to show the original concept for Ar-Fiach - another really nice piece from Steve Tappin. Beautifully brought to life by Yannick Hennebo and available now in the Studio Store. Steve also concepted the first group of Firebrand miniatures - and they are currently away being mastered for metal - we hope to have the castings ready in the next couple of weeks - in time for Salute.

Salute is only a few weeks away and we're starting to get everything ready - we'll have all our miniatures on sale there, and hopefully a couple of new releases. One of those is being mastered for resin at the moment, and another just needs a few tweaks to be perfect. We're really looking forward to Salute again this year, so if your going to be there, please pop along and say hello.

I'm currently working hard on a project that won't see the light of day until later this year - but Ali and I are already pretty excited about it. Stay tuned for news on that (but don't hold your breath just yet...).

Cheers!

mike

Ar-Fiach

All the news seems to have been about the Sedition Wars range recently - so I thought we'd better put something out for the Limited Edition resin range!

Ar-Fiach is another in our irregular series of Faerie miniatures - so far we have Ar-Fienel (now all sold out) and Al-Vianna on one side, and Y'Sala and Y'Sydira on the other. Ar-Fiach tips things back into the light, but maybe not for too long...

The others are available in the Studio Store.

This one is another fantastic sculpt from Yannick, and based on a concept by Stephen Tappin (site under construction). It's a really beautifully detailed, evocative piece. I'll post the concept here soon, along with some more pictures of the resin casting.

In Sedition Wars news, I am expecting the first batch of Vokker resins soon, so we should be releasing the limited run of that soon - possibly even next week. Ali is hard at work painting it as I type, and it's looking really nice. The first batch of Firebrand miniatures are away being mastered in metal at the moment, and I hope to have those on sale in time for Salute next month - more news on that soon. I recently added the resin Vanguard base set to the Studio Store.

cheers!

mike

Firebrand preview - Vokker Dargu

Just got the first resins of this miniature, so I wanted to give a quick preview of him. He'll be available as a very limited resin run shortly over on the main website, then he'll be off to be mastered in metal. In the mean time, here's some background.

All the other Sedition Wars miniatures are available in the Store.
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Conscript Vokker Dargu
Height: 1.95 meters
Weight: 92 kilograms
Eyes: Cybernetic implants – no retinal imprint
Hair: Black
Gene-Index: Human/ Pre-augment Conscript
Inception Date: 201.10.4036 Solar Reckoning
Augments:
· Kyoshi Heavy Industries AG field generator
· Omnium Systems Meta-Cortical implant
· Kyoshi Heavy Industries Integrated Control Optics

Profile:
Corporate insubordination charges led to Vokker Dargu’s downgrade from Full Citizen to Conscript Servile as an industrial technician third class. Due to an aptitude with gravity manipulators and a bio-signature with a low rejection threshold to cybernetic implantation, he was involuntarily augmented and promoted to industrial technician first class. After serving in this capacity on good behaviour for thirteen years, his conscription restraints and cortical clamp were removed, and he was granted Provisional Release autonomy.

During a warranty based upgrade to his meta-cortical implant an unclassified code-entity breached his cortical firewall. The entity obliterated AI personality controls designed to keep his mind in check. System upgrade records indicate that the entity transferred in during an allegedly secure software upgrade. Without AI fail-safes in place, Vokker was free to act without worry of personality suppression.

His escape resulted in the deaths of twenty-eight medical and sixteen security personnel.
As per Rogue Conscript Protocol a warrant for Terminal Reclamation was issued 028.23.4039.1
Traceback disable commands to his cybernetics have failed and his whereabouts were unknown until the Conscript insurrection on Achilles.

Vanguard intelligence analysis indicates that his systems have been modified beyond current specifications, and he has been altered cosmetically to conceal his identity. His bio-signature was present during the co-ordinated attack on the Vanguard Bastion Arms of Sorrow, in which four hundred and seventy three Vanguard troopers and twenty four SDG elite were slain before the Arms of Sorrow could repel the six thousand attacking Conscripts. He was not among the casualties of that battle.

It is likely Vokker is serving as a combat co-ordinator in the Conscript uprising – Using tactical systems and precognition to lead pro-active counter-attacks on Vanguard forces. To date his bio-signs have been detected in fifty seven combat incidents with Vanguard troops.
He remains at large.

Capabilities:
Qualified for a Master level license with an AG generator, Vokker is an expert with kinetic fields and gravity suppression. His AG implant is capable of shifting a hundred kilograms of mass without strain. For manipulating larger masses he must be coupled with an external power supply. Even without external power, he can strike with kinetics to inflict lethal blows to anything within range of his AG field effectors.

His meta-cortex implant is a moderate grade cyber-brain. Vokker’s mind may house one or more expert systems capable of serving as tactical analysis and intelligence gathering meta-routines. Note that the Omnium implant allows limited quantum prediction, granting Vokker low grade precognitive ability and enhanced predictive instinct. Combined with his proficiency in AG field manipulation, he may be capable of deflecting directed projectile weapons fire. His sixth sense will be able to detect dangerous situations with a moderate degree of certainty. This is probably why he has avoided Reclamation for so long.

The Kyoshi Control Optics suite linked to his meta-cortex allows Vokker to index and co-ordinate the efforts of several other conscripts through remote communication. This system no doubt aids him in tactical unit co-ordination.

All of these systems are well concealed. Vokker can easily pass for a full citizen - albeit augmented - as long as his conscription transponder is suppressed and his conscript ID tattoo remains concealed. Assuming that these safeguards have not been removed already.
This combination of systems and his inconspicuous appearance makes Vokker effectively a sleeper agent capable of sensing events minutes before they occur and fading away from danger undetected. In addition, the rogue electronic entity that is currently installed within his cortex may have further capabilities that enhance him beyond his current specifications. His termination is a high priority, and reclamation of his systems vital to understanding the threat facing the Vanguard and the Solar Conglomerate.

Brute bodyguard

I've just added a new miniature to the Sedition Wars website, and the Studio Store. This is the Limited Edition resin version of the Jaggernat Heavy - and it is a very limited run. We're only going to cast 75 of them in resin and when they are gone, it won't be available again until the metal version launches in the coming months (not quite sure when this one will be out, but it wont be for a little while).

It's a brute of a miniature - standing 45mm tall and very nearly as wide. He comes with a 40mm scenic resin base - and that will be available separately in resin when the metal Jaggernat launches.

Quick update on the metal range - It's looking like the very end of this month or the very beginning of march for the first group of Vanguard castings.

cheers!

mike

Firebrand concepts and metal update

I've been meaning to post these Firebrand concepts for quite a while now - great drawings by Steve Tappin. He's concepts a couple more too - one of which is sculpted and awaiting painting, the other is currently being sculpted.

Finally some news on the metal release. The first batch of Vanguard miniatures (which are currently only available in resin) are currently being cast and I should be releasing them in the next two week - might even be sooner. The casting quality looks great and we're just working out the pricing.

The resin stocks are also getting low in the store for the Vanguard LE resin miniatures, here's what we have left in the store (after which they will only be available in metal). I'm taking the resin range out of the store once the metals are available - if we have any left we'll probably just sell them at conventions.

Captain Kara Black - 18
Morgan Vade - 4 - EDIT - this is now out of stock and won't be available until the metal range launches.
Akosha Nama - 14
Barker Zosa (he will be available in two different configurations in metal, one with each weapon variant) - 16
Trooper with Las Carbine - 14
Trooper with Multi Launcher - 14

The same will be true of the Firebrand resins - once the metals are available, I'll take the resins out of the store. They won't be in metal for at least six weeks though.

cheers!

mike

TGN awards and shipping news

I just wanted to post quickly about the Tabletop Gaming New awards. Studio McVey managed to snag a first place and a runner-up in The Reader's Choice section, and three first places and a runner up in the Editor's Choice! Needless to say, we're absolutely delighted!

Many thanks to all who voted for us - I can't begin to tell you how much it means to us.

I also wanted to warn people who have ordered Ruby recently, that the packages are very slow going out at the moment. It's been a bit of a catalogue of disasters with the production vendor since mid December - heavy snow falls, missing deliveries, failed moulds, family tragedies - they've had it all. All those things coupled with the normal Christmas postal madness have hit our production schedule very hard. Things do seem to be back to normal now though and we are starting to produce decent numbers of castings every day. It is going to take some time to get caught up though - she has been very popular...

If you are thoroughly sick of waiting, I am more than happy to fully refund your order - just email me (address on the main website). If you can be patient with us a little longer it would be appreciated - it's been quite a testing few weeks.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

mike

Edit - I have just posted an update on this in the Forums, and will be posting all future updates there.

Ruby concepts

Thought I would just do a quick post to show Sam Wood's concepts for Ruby - really great drawings as always. One of the things I have always loved about Sam's concepts, is he is great at creating evocative characters - not just designs.

Ruby has been unbelievably popular so far - really far more than we were anticipating. The high demand, coupled with some unavoidable delays with casting (mainly the weather, but some unfortunate other things too), means that we are going to be a little slow fulfilling all the orders. The first batch will ship out in a few days and we will be packing and shipping between Christmas and New year - hopefully we can get it all out in the next week to ten days.

Thanks in advance for your patience - I'm sure most people are aware of what the bad weather has done to the UK's shipping systems!

cheers

mike